At just 5.1mm thin, the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is Samsung’s slimmest tablet ever. But the thickness number isn’t the story here. What matters is what’s packed inside it, and whether this lineup can actually justify its place in a world where most people reach for a laptop when serious work calls.
What Samsung is actually releasing
Samsung announced the Galaxy Tab S12 series on September 30, 2026, with two models: the Tab S12 Ultra and the Tab S12+. Both run Android 17 with One UI 9, come bundled with an S Pen, and ship with Galaxy AI built in. The Ultra gets a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. The Plus gets a 12.6-inch version with slimmer bezels than its predecessor. Both hit up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness, so outdoor visibility is genuinely usable rather than a checkbox claim.
Under the hood, Samsung dropped in a 3nm processor that delivers a 61% faster NPU, 19% faster CPU, and 17% better GPU performance compared to the Tab S11 Ultra. Those aren’t made-up benchmark numbers either. If you’re editing video, rendering graphics, or running multiple apps at once, you’ll feel the difference. A redesigned 3D Vapor Chamber handles heat during long sessions, which matters more than most people realise when you’re grinding through a two-hour creative project.
Battery life that holds up all day
The Tab S12 Ultra claims up to 23 hours on a single charge. The Tab S12+ offers up to 21 hours. Both support 45W fast charging, going from zero to full in roughly 95 minutes. So even if you drain it on a long travel day, you’re not waiting around forever. That’s a genuinely useful combination for students, freelancers, or anyone bouncing between locations.
AI that’s actually baked in, not bolted on
Galaxy AI here includes Note Assist for summarising notes, a built-in AI Key on the Pro Keyboard accessory, and Samsung Browser’s ability to pull context across multiple open tabs. The series also ships with a six-month Google AI Pro trial, which means Gemini access from day one, including Gemini Notebook for organising notes, recordings, and files into summaries or quizzes. That’s a real bonus, not a throwaway perk.
And then there’s Adobe Photoshop pre-loaded. On an Android tablet. That’s a first, and it’s a big deal. The interface is optimised for tablets and tuned for S Pen input, which finally makes this feel like a device creative professionals might actually pick up instead of dismissing.
The bigger picture
Tablets have been fighting an identity crisis for years, stuck between phones that do almost everything and laptops that do the rest. Samsung is clearly betting that a big, powerful screen paired with AI tools and pro apps is the thing that closes that gap. The Galaxy Tab S12 series also includes bundled app benefits worth around $600, which helps justify the premium price point for new buyers.
- 14.6-inch (Ultra) and 12.6-inch (Plus) Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays
- 3nm processor with major performance gains over the S11 Ultra
- Up to 23 hours battery life on the Ultra
- 45W fast charging, zero to full in about 95 minutes
- S Pen included with both models
- Adobe Photoshop pre-loaded, a first for Android tablets
- Six-month Google AI Pro trial included
- IP68 water and dust resistance
Is it for everyone? No. But for the person who genuinely wants a tablet that can carry a full workday without compromise, the Galaxy Tab S12 series looks like the most compelling case Samsung has made yet.